After the End
by Lady of Ithilien
Summary: An interpretation of how the group might react to finally defeating Naraku. Sometimes, realizing that you're still alive can be a bit overwhelming. One-shot.


This is my interpretation on how the group might react after defeating Naraku. It doesn't answer any questions, because I didn't feel it was necessary and because I don't even want to hazard a guess as to how the series is going to end.

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine, just borrowing them.

**After the End**

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They set an easy pace back to the village; for the first time in a long time, none of them felt even an inkling of desire to rush, or for much of anything, really. No worry itched in the back of their minds – no brother, no long-dead priestess, not even an all-consuming hole in the palm of their right hand.

So their journey was slow and casual. It was also silent – even Shippou did not feel the need to speak. They did not talk, and barely thought, and certainly no thoughts more complicated than identifying and avoiding small obstacles in their path.

And then Inuyasha stopped, so suddenly and quietly that it took several seconds for the others to realize he had done so. They all turned to regard him curiously. Kagome was about to call out his name when the strangest of sounds escaped him.

His companions' eyes widened. The sound came again, louder this time. His shoulders were shaking and his eyes were scrunched closed, and he looked as though he was trying to suppress something that refused to be contained.

"Is he...?" Sango began before trailing off helplessly.

"He _is_," Miroku confirmed in astonishment as the hanyou abruptly dropped into a seated position, the alien noise having consumed him, his entire body shaking from it.

Inuyasha was laughing.

"He's lost it," Shippou muttered from his perch on Kagome's shoulder. "That last battle did him in."

"So it would seem," mused Miroku, stroking his chin idly, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips.

Inuyasha's laughter had only increased when a few seconds later a new, similar sound intermingled with it – higher pitched, and slightly muffled. Monk, miko, cat, and kitsune turned bemused faces towards Sango, who had a hand clamped over her mouth in a vain effort to shut in the giggles. At last she resigned herself to her fate, and fell to her knees in front of the hanyou, both of them doubled over with mirth.

Shippou snuggled closer to Kagome's neck. "I'm scared," he whimpered. Kagome just shook her head slowly, at a loss of what to even think.

Somehow, she wasn't surprised when she heard a deep chuckle gradually building beside her as the houshi joined his companions on the ground. Sango was leaning on Inuyasha's shoulder, while Miroku had practically fallen into the hanyou's lap. After a few seconds, Inuyasha dropped onto his back in hysterics, and Sango – shy, mournful Sango – reached over the half-demon, grabbed the front of Miroku's robes and kissed him firmly through their laughter.

Strangely calm, Kagome watched it all with a bewildered Shippou still huddled on her shoulder. She didn't know how long this display of random, careless euphoria would last, and she knew it didn't really matter anyway; by the end of the day they would probably pretend it had never happened. And that was perfectly all right with her. Her friends needed to vent their astonishment in some way, and this was just as good a way as any. After all, she couldn't think of any proper method of accepting the completion of a long journey, a life's mission. What were the victors supposed to do after the battle was won?

Celebrate? Was that what the three warriors were doing there on the ground, having seemingly lost their sanity to unbridled mirth?

No. Kagome saw something else there in their tears of laughter – relief. They had survived, and they needed to come to terms with that shocking realization. Then it would be time to move on, and maybe, just maybe, they would find that everything would turn out all right.

Shippou leapt off of her shoulder as she approached the hysterical group. She knelt beside of Inuyasha, and without hesitation the hanyou did something that, under normal circumstances, would have caught her completely off-guard. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down to him in a warm embrace, his laughter still shaking in his chest as she set her head on his shoulder.

As tears of tired relief rolled down her cheeks, she began to giggle.

Shippou turned away and looked at Kirara, who flicked her tails questioningly. The kitsune sighed.

"Let's get going, Kirara," he replied to her voiceless inquiry. She mewled her consent, and the pair continued on at the same casual pace towards home.

- - - - - - - -

Author's Note: Ack, so nervous... in case you couldn't tell while reading, this is my first Inuyasha fic. I think the writing itself is all right, but I'm _really _uncertain about the characterization. But anyway, constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks for reading. :-)


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